The Eminence of a True Monarch of the Shadows

[Third Person's PoV] 

Claire, Esil, and Cid stepped out of the room, their appearances refreshed, the faint scent of soap lingering in the air. Esil's cheeks burned red, and her gaze stayed glued to the floor, refusing to meet Cid's. The shame of everything she had seen—and heard— and experienced inside the room weighed on her heavily.

Claire, stretching her arms overhead, let out a casual sigh. "Well, you can leave now, you know."

Cid gave her a scandalized look, clutching his own torso as if to shield himself. "What?! So that's it? Am I just a quick fling to you? A fleeting moment of passion before you toss me aside? I feel so used. You only wanted me for my body, didn't you?" His tone dripped with mock drama, and he hugged himself for emphasis.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Relax, drama queen. I meant I have work to do. You know, the boring kind—reorganizing the castle, meeting with the demon clans of this kingdom, all that tedious stuff. Surely you have more exciting things to do than hang around here. Like, I don't know... visiting your children. Especially the newborn ones?"

"Children?!" Esil suddenly exclaimed, snapping out of her embarrassment. Her eyes widened in disbelief, darting back and forth between Claire and Cid.

Claire raised an eyebrow and turned toward Cid with a smirk. "You haven't told her?"

Cid pursed his lips and looked away, feigning innocence.

Claire sighed dramatically. "Fine, just go already. I'll fill her in."

"Too late, I already did that!" Cid quipped with a sly grin.

Claire snorted and high-fived him, shaking her head. "Good one."

Meanwhile, Esil buried her face in her hands, silently lamenting, 'What is wrong with these two?!'

With that, Cid sank into his shadow, vanishing from sight.

Claire yawned, her tone turning authoritative. "Alright, Esil, let's get to work. Start by explaining how this kingdom's been running."

Esil quickly composed herself, straightening her posture. "Yes, ma'am."

---

Meanwhile, in the Shadow Realm…

Cid emerged from the dark tendrils of his shadow, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he hurried toward the nursery. The familiar sound of quiet coos and the soft creak of a rocking chair greeted him.

Inside, Alpha sat serenely, her golden hair glowing in the dim light, holding both of their babies to her chest as they nursed. She looked up at him, her eyes warm and welcoming.

Cid approached her and leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to her lips, which she returned with a soft smile. Then he kissed each of the babies on their tiny foreheads.

Cid had fixed the time dilation in his Shadow Realm so although hours or days have passed it's only been a few minutes. So he didn't miss much. 

"So what have you been up to?" Alpha asked in a soft voice curiously and with a smile.

"Oh, nothing special," Cid replied nonchalantly, waving a hand. "Helped Claire conquer a kingdom, crowned her queen, and, oh, and I managed to turned her into a Monarch, You know, the usual."

Alpha chuckled softly, her voice barely above a whisper to avoid disturbing the babies. "The usual, huh? The others are going to be furious you left them out of something so big."

"I wouldn't worry," Cid said smugly. "They'll get their excitement soon enough. That declaration of war should light a fire under them."

Alpha's smile faltered slightly, her brows furrowing. "Wait… you're serious? You declared war? On who?"

"The Monarch of Destruction," Cid said, puffing out his chest like he'd just announced a great achievement.

Before Alpha could respond, one of the babies, Loriel, unlatched herself and began crying loudly.

Cid stepped forward, scooping her up with practiced ease. "What's the matter, my little princess? Did Daddy scare you with all this war talk?" He cradled her gently and patted her back. "Come on, let's get that burp out of you."

A loud burp echoed through the room after a few pats to her back, making both Cid and Alpha burst into quiet laughter.

"You were holding that one in, weren't you, my little burpy princess?" Cid teased, tickling Loriel's belly and eliciting a tiny giggle.

Just then, a rather different sound emanated from their other baby, Lorion, who was still cradled in Alpha's arms. Cid and Alpha exchanged a knowing glance, their laughter bubbling up again.

"I'll handle this one," Cid said with a chuckle, gently putting Loriel back into Alpha's arms and taking Lorion. Holding him at arm's length, he grinned. "Come on, my little poopy prince. Let's get you cleaned up."

At the changing table, Cid worked efficiently, his humor never fading. "Worthy dookies of a future monarch," he muttered with mock solemnity. He caught a glimpse of what he swore was a smug expression on Lorion's face.

"You're proud of that one, aren't you?" Cid scoffed playfully, finishing the change and securing the diaper snugly.

Once both babies were settled and asleep in their crib, Cid and Alpha stood side by side, watching them. Alpha rested her head on Cid's shoulder, her voice soft and emotional. "They're so perfect. Our babies."

Cid wrapped an arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "That they are."

They lingered for a few moments before stepping out quietly. As they walked down the hall, Alpha glanced at him, her earlier concern returning.

"Now… about that declaration of war. Care to elaborate?"

Cid launched into an explanation about his actions with Claire, the Ancient Dragon, and the Rune of Destruction.

Alpha listened intently, her expression shifting between curiosity and exasperation. Finally, she asked, "Why would you do such a thing?"

"To try and live quietly and peacefully" Cid answered, "After I'm done with the Monarchs, we'll rebuild this world before going back to our world and destroying the Cult once and for all. Or rather you guys are" 

"Us?" Alpha asked, confused by his wording

"Yes, this isn't my revenge story, this is all of yours. It was all of your lives along with all of those of the members of Shadow Garden that have been affected by the Cult. So once you 7 become Monarchs there will be no one to stop you from eradicating the Cult of Diabolos"

Alpha's eyes softened as she nodded in understanding. "I see… I'll go inform the others."

With that, she walked ahead, her determined stride echoing through the hall, leaving Cid with a satisfied smile.